Arabic and Islamic People

In this essay I will include a lot of information about differences of ethnicities and
religions that come from the Middle East. I think that this was an important thing to cover
because over in the Middle Eastern countries there is a lot of different cultures getting mixed
around. And as our country continues to grow we will need to learn and know more about
these things. Especially as future educators of students with many different ranges of
influences in their lives. I will include information about the ways of life and also difficulties or
struggles that some Arabic and/or Islamic people may face. In America, and even in their home
countries. I hope that this is insightful and maybe eye opening to some of you reading!
To begin, lets talk about the differences. Between Arabic and Islamic. Arabic is a way
to classify a certain race of people. It includes people from the Middle East and North Africa.
The specific countries include; Algeria, Bahrain, The Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq,
Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, The United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Arabian culture is
described as an ethno-linguistic one. Which means they are of similar ethnicity and they speak
the same language; Arabic.
Now of course, with coming from so many different countries, their ethnic identities
may be all just a little different. America is a melting pot of so many co-existing religions and
cultures. So the everyday life of an Arab American is strongly based around family. They
prepare large meals to share not only food, but also time together. Always being prepared to
be great hosts or hostesses, constantly catering to their guests is a strong suit they carry. As for
momentous, those will be brought from their homeland countries, including pottery,
embroidery works, decorative plates, and paintings. Just a few things to remind them of their
roots! Religion wise, it is said that most Arabic Immigrants were Christian, and a few Muslim.
Now we are getting more introduced to more and more Muslim Arabians!
Our next topic is Islamic people. First thing to know is that Islamic and Muslim is
basically the same meaning. Muslim people are described as someone who believes and
practices the teachings of Islam, which is the religion. Interestingly enough, the term Muslim
comes from the Arabic language meaning: one who submits (to Allah). Now that the
differences have been established. Someone who is Arabic can be Islamic. That seems to be
where the confusion is coming from. Another clarification Id like to point out is Muslim isnt a
description of ethnicity, it is only a religion, so the Islamic people dont come from any specific
countries. Some of the highest numbers of Muslims are found in these top five countries (in
order): Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. Now let us jump into the cultures
and religious influences that are included with Islam.
In America, the immigrants who are Islamic are from a wide range of different
countries, and have a wide range of different ethnicities. So not every Muslim is from the
Middle East, but that is very common. Christianity has churches as Islam has mosques. Having
mosques around in America improves how Muslims are engaged in society and also help
support the American political system. Maybe we should have more to provide, to make life
more comfortable for our other religions and to help them thrive even better. There have even
been organized groups set up by Muslims such as the Islamic Society of North America. The
ISNA is based in Indiana and they have provided many mosques and other organizational and
welcoming items for the Islamic people.
This was an extremely enlightening topic to me. I hope that you learned just as much as
I did. I selected this topic because I just feel obligated to learn about the cultures of the world,
based on my passions. It makes me happier and feel like I have even more capabilities to
improve this world. I learned that you cant judge a book by its cover, and you might as well
learn about the book to become more knowledgeable and helpful! This topic, not only of
Middle Eastern ethnicities and religions, but also purely of just diversity, will strongly and
greatly impact my future career as an educator. Being aware of all of these different
circumstances and let the children embrace who they are and where they came from is whats
important. The next time I want to talk to someone who may have these influences, I will be
able to better understand who they are as people. Honestly, learning about these things is one
of the best ways to bring you closer to the people around you. And in my case, as I will be a
teacher, it can even bring others closer with each other. I conclude this essay and dock it as a
success. Even if I get points counted off for using first person and possibly jumping to third and
second. It is a success no matter what because I have learned more about these cultures that I
had no clue about. And thats a win for me.

Sources:
http://www.arabstereotypes.org/who-are-arab-americans/arab-american-
culture/living-america
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/common-confusions-arabs-muslims
http://teachmideast.org/articles/arab-middle-eastern-and-muslim-whats-the-
difference/
http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/muslims/pf_15-04-02_projectionstables74/
https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/publications/what-is-the-truth-about-american-
muslims/american-muslims-in-the-united